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Commuter journeys double in decade as more workers turn to two wheels
Pedal Ready cycle trainer Sam Robb-King (dark red hair) and trainee Wendy Melia doing some quiet road cycle training in Heeley � David Bocking / Pedal Ready 2010 news@pedalready.co.uk Free use in stories related to Pedal Ready cycle training permitted. Permission must be sought for any other use
COMMUTERS are turning increasingly to their bikes to get to work in Sheffield city centre.
Numbers of cycle journey across the inner relief road have gone up by 91% over the past ten years partly, it is thought, because of the health and economic benefits.
Local campaign groups also believe that, despite its hills, the rise in popularity of cycling is only matched in London, where millions of pounds have been spent on making the going easier for cyclists.
Details of the surge in cycling in Sheffield are revealed in a week that bus and train fares have risen.
Cycle Sheffield spokesman Simon Geller said: “Cycling is on the up.”
There is also evidence that people are walking to work more, against a background of declining numbers of bus and tram passengers.
“It’s certainly good that people are choosing to cycle and walk more,” said Simon. “I think it’s part of a national trend, although it varies from place to place.
“People are aware that cycling is good for their health. A short bike journey in Sheffield can do them a lot of good.”
Talks are being held with the council about encouraging more cycling and making it safer, with the prospect of being able to dip into a £5m Government fund designed to promote sustainable transport, notably cycling and walking, with the possibility of new long distance cycle routes to places such as to Chapeltown and Oughtibridge.
Cycle routes around the city centre have improved, said Simon, “but there are still problem areas on main roads such as Ecclesall Road, London Road and Queens Road. We are looking to see more segregation of cycle routes.”
He believes that training schemes for adults run by the organisation Pedal Ready have not only improved safety, but encouraged more people to take to their bikes.
The latest figures indicate 6,713 cycle journeys a day across the inner city ‘cordon’ this year compared with 3,520 in 2001. Other cycle journeys to and from work will be made without crossing the inner relief road.
Pedal Ready says the state of the economy is a key factor in the bike boom, estimating that £500 to £800 can be saved over a year compared with a bus or a car over two to three miles.
There is also anecdotal evidence of a snowball effect, with people being encouraged by others in their workplace.
Big companies and public organisations in Sheffield promote cycling to work. Almost 10% of staff at the University of Sheffield are believed to travel by bike.
A Pedal Ready spokesman said: “Hills will always be a factor in Sheffield but modern bikes are perfectly capable of dealing with them and the city centre is at the bottom of most hills, so it’s easy to get down. Coming home is seen as more of a workout.
“Cycling long ago stopped being a minority issue for hippies and Lycra lovers only. Our 1,500-plus adult trainees, so far, include all kinds of people, from young mums to pensioners to asylum seekers to lawyers. And nationally the Department for Transport and national cycling organisations are starting to notice too, and are referring to Sheffield as an example to others of a cycling city.
“In 2012 we’ll be aiming for the whole city to take notice of this and build on what has already been achieved.”
Coun Leigh Bramall, cabinet member for environment and transport, said the authority encouraged cycling, through initiatives such as joining up cycle routes, cycle parking, free cycle training and working with schools, and it was “great news” that there were “such fantastic results”.
A scheme that offers a free bike, training and support to new cyclists has seen 700 commuters and many other people take part over two years “and we know 75% of people have continued cycling”.
“Over next three years we intend to build even more cycle routes in the city, focusing on access to employment areas. The bike leasing scheme and free cycle training will continue, as well as bike maintenance classes and bike recycling initiatives.
“There are all sorts of reasons why cycling is becoming more appealing to people, from rising petrol prices to tighter household budgets. What we do know is that the vast majority of people in Sheffield that we’ve worked with to get them cycling have enjoyed the changes, and feel better and healthier for them. We will continue to work hard to make it easy as possible for people to get in the saddle, and we look forward to seeing the number of cyclists in Sheffield rise even higher.”
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Friday 25 May 2012
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Comments
There are 4 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
WildNorthlands
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 12:52 PMMr. Geller would like to point out that he is not responsible for the state of Sheffield's roads (except in as much that he pays his council tax, Vehicle Excise Duty etc in the hopes that some of the money will be put towards repairing them)
chrisrust
Saturday, January 7, 2012 at 02:16 PMTwo cheers for this useful improvement but I hope the local authority don't use it to claim that they are doing enough. The gain isn't enough to make a significant difference and it's mainly due to the excellent work by Pedal Ready and other community based groups, general interest in healthy living, convenience (cycling is MUCH faster and more reliable for a great many commuters) and especially the government's scheme to give tax back on employee bike purchases. The city do little for cyclists and a lot of it is misguided. I'm surprised so many cyclists cross the inner ring road because the traffic engineers have gone out of their way to ensure that the ring road is a scary and awkward barrier. In Sheffield, the motorist is still God.
matt_g_b
Friday, January 6, 2012 at 04:49 PMIt's very good news that more of us are cycling. However, Mr Geller omits to mention the factor that makes cycling in Sheffield particularly problematic: the state of the roads. If you you're not lucky enough to work in the city centre and live on one of the main routes in and out of town, you will have to dodge dozens of potholes and patches of loose gravel, often on badly lit streets, which is not fun or safe in rush hour. If I sound churlish, it's because one of this week's new crop of potholes did terminal damage to my rear wheel yesterday.
Fonant
Friday, January 6, 2012 at 04:00 PMExcellent news! Now there are 6,000 cycle trips per day across the cordon, what percentage modal share does cycling achieve in Sheffield? Has cycling doubled from 1% to 2% modal share (not very exciting), from 5% to 10% (useful), or from 20% to 40% (as achieved in some European towns)? Will Sheffield now be investing in proper, visibly-safe, cycle facilities so that people are attracted to cycling naturally, without feeling the need for training?
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